1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computing technology; and more specifically, to mechanisms for allowing a third party computing entity to participate in a message transaction that the third party was not involved with creating.
2. Background and Related Art
Computing technology has transformed the way we work and play. Computing systems now take a wide variety of forms including desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet PCs, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), household devices and the like. In its most basic form, a computing system includes system memory and one or more processors. Software in the system memory may be executed by the processor to direct the other hardware of the computing system to perform desired functions.
More abstractly, a “computing entity” may be any computing system or device (or even any application or component running thereon) that is capable of communicating with another computing entity similarly enabled to communicate. Much of the functionality provided by computing entities relies on the ability of multiple computing entities to cooperatively communicate to accomplish a particular task. In order to accomplish a task, the computing entities engage in a message transaction involving multiple message exchanges.
There is often a predicable and expected pattern of message exchange between the two computing entities in order to accomplish a particular task. For example, in accordance with an arbitrary example message exchange pattern, a first computing entity may transmit a first kind of message to the second computing entity. In response, the second computing system may then return to the first computing entity a second or third type of message, and so on as prescribed by the appropriate message exchange pattern.
In order to engage in some message exchange patterns, more than two computing entities collaborate to accomplish a particular task. However, it is difficult once a message transaction is created between two computing entities to securely allow a third (or fourth or so on) computing entity to engage in the transaction. Accordingly, what would be advantageous is a mechanism for allowing third parties who were not involved in the creation of the transaction to register in the transaction in a secure manner.